Table A1.
Step 3 Classification of data.
| Source/Country | Aim/Purpose | Methods/Data Collection | Sample N | Bereavement Period | Classification and QA Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holdsworth, (2015) [45] United Kingdom |
“The aim of this article is to describe the end-of-life experience from the point of view of bereaved family carers with particular reference to the role that care providers play in shaping this experience” [45] (p. 835). | Interviews | 45 | 6–10 months | Thematic/21 |
| Wilson, MacLeod, & Houttekier, (2016) [48] Canada |
“As it does not appear that research has focused on a linkage between death quality and the intensity of bereavement grief, we conducted a mixed-methods research study to determine if this relationship exists and for evidence-based insights into any connections between bereavement grief and death quality” [48] (p. 261). | Interviews | 41 | 5 months–8 years | Thematic/18 |
| Nelson, Schrader, & Eidsness, (2009) [54] United States |
“The aim of this study was to explore end-of-life (EOL) experiences of South Dakotans who had experienced the death of a loved one in the last 5 years” [54] (p. 905). | Interviews | 35 | Within 5 years | Topical/14 |
| Lee, Woo, & Goh, (2013) [19] Singapore |
“The aim of this study was to examine the concept of a good death from the perspectives of both the dying person and the family caregiver, as perceived by bereaved family caregivers of advanced cancer patients” [19] (p. 37). | 5 focus groups, 1 interview | 18 | 6–18 months | Thematic/16 |
| Kongsuwan, Chaipetch, & Matchim, (2012) [55] Thailand |
“The purpose of the study was to describe the concept of a peaceful death in ICUs from Thai Buddhist family members’ perspectives” [55] (p.152). | Interviews | 9 | 2–12 months | Conceptual/20 |
| Abib El Halal, Piva, Lago, El Halal, Cabral, Nilson, & Garcia, 2013 [47] Brazil |
“The aim of this study was to explore parents’ perspectives of the quality of the care offered to them and their terminally ill child in the child’s last days of life in two Brazilian PICUs” [47] (p. 496). | Semi-structured interview | 15 | 6–12 months | Thematic/16 |
| Donnelly & Battley, (2010) [49] Ireland |
“To describe the contemporary experience of relatives in a tertiary referral hospital of the moment of death, traditionally a very significant event” [49] (p. 96). | Interviews | 24 | Unclear | Topical/18 |
| Robert, Zhukovsky, Mauricio, Gilmore, Morrison, & Palos; (2012) [51] United States |
“To understand the needs and experiences of bereaved parents whose child had received care at one National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. The investigators were particularly interested in the parents’ perceptions of the care received by their child, their expectations of palliative care, and recommendations on how best to improve palliative care for children with cancer and their parents” [51] (p. 318). | Focus groups | 14 | Lost a loved one a minimum of one year before study | Thematic/20 |
| Evans, Cutson, Steinhauser, & Tulsky (2006) [52] United States |
“To describe caregivers’ reasons for transfer from home hospice to inpatient facilities, preferences for site of care and death, and their experiences during these transfers” [52] (p. 100). | Interviews | 18 | Contacted about study at least four weeks after patient death | Thematic/17 |
| Jack, O'Brien, Scrutton, Baldry, & Groves, (2015) [53] United Kingdom |
“To explore bereaved family carers’ perceptions and experiences of a hospice at home service” [53] (p. 131). | Interviews | 20 | At least 3 months | Conceptual/20 |
| Williams, Bailey, Noh, Woodby, Wittich & Burgio (2015) [56] United States |
“The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the personal and interpersonal context of next-of-kin’s discussions with clinicians regarding discharge planning to home hospice or inpatient palliative care service for hospitalized veterans” [56] (p. 51). | Participant obser-vation, focus groups, and interviews | 78 | 3–6 months | Interpretive/17 |
| Wilches-Gutiérrez, Arenas-Monreal, Paulo-Maya, Peláez-Ballestas, & Idrovo, (2012) [46] Mexico |
“To ascertain the elements comprising the health/illness /death process in the context of a holiday in this municipality (Yautepec, Morelos, Mexico)” [46] (p. 775). | Interviews | 7 | Loss within the last four years | Conceptual/18 |
| Bruinsma, Brown, van der Heide, Deliens, Anquinet, Payne, Seymour, & Rietjens, (2014) [20] Belgium, United Kingdom, Netherlands |
“The purpose of the study was to explore relatives’ descriptions and experiences of continuous sedation in end-of-life care for cancer patients and to identify and explain differences between respondents from the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK” [20] (p. 3243). | Interviews | 38 | 3–18 months | Thematic/18 |
| Workman & Mann, (2007) [50] Canada |
“To identify areas for improvement in delivering high quality end-of-life care on the medical teaching unit” [50] (p. 433). | Interviews | 6 | 6 months | Thematic/15 |